Sometimes, the funniest thing in the world is family.
In 'Over the River and Through the Woods,' the spring play from the Great Falls Players at the Alden Theater, Nick, played by Gary Mahmoud, tries to move from his familiar life in New Jersey to a great adventure and a new job in Seattle. His four grandparents, however, have every intention of keeping him with them.
"Nick is a business guy, the son of Italian Americans, who wants to move to Seattle, but his grandparents want him to stay," Mahmoud said.
During weekly dinners with both sets of grandparents, Nick's grandparents subtly try to convince him that home is where he belongs. "They try to set him up with a local girl to get him to stay and hilarity ensues," said Mahmoud.
The role of Nick hits home for Mahmoud, who really is a native of New Jersey and has faced a similar struggle with his own father.
"A lot of my character is essentially me," he said. "A lot of the conflicts with the grandparents are what I have with my own father. When I go home to New Jersey, it's a lot of 'Gary, what can I get you to eat?' which is a lot of the play."
The struggle between old-world relatives he loves and the new world of life in America is a central theme in the play, Mahmoud said. "The play does get sad in the end, because one way or another, someone's not going to get what they want," he said.
The play, written by Joe DiPietro, is directed by Terry Yates and produced by Bunny Bonnes. In addition to Mahmoud, Lanny Slusher and Susana Romero play Frank and Aida Gianelli, Bob Greenspan and Janice Zucker play Nunzio and Emma Cristiano, and Eileen Marshall plays Caitlin O'Hare, the girl Nick's grandparents hope will convince him to stay home.
"Everyone in the cast and crew are great," Mahmoud said. "There's no weak link in the cast at all."
"Over the River and Through the Woods" will be on stage at the Alden Theater in the McLean Community Center on Friday and Saturday, June 3 and 4, at 9 p.m. Tickets are $14 for adults and $12 for students and senior citizens.